The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-19
A LIBEL ON MIR. pARNELL


Tories are driven in their efforts TO
Justify the crimes act aud the brutal
methods of coercion for which 1t
provides is we'll illustrated by the
forged letter published by The London
Times, purporting to have been written
by Mr.. Parnell, and indorsiDg or coun-
tenancine the dreadful Phoenix Park
murder. Nothing 60 libelous Of the
character Of the Irish leader could
have been ooncocted as this, moth
ing 80 UNANIMOUSLY unjust. Mr..
Parnell Is above an impu.
tatIon 80 gross. His conduct 10 too
far beyond the faint Of blood outlines
TO be affected by even 30 we'll con-
eeived q plot to which the staid old
Times has given the weight Of Its
standing at the head Of the English
speaking press. No crime ever per-
petrated in Ireland 80 shocked the
people, not alone OF the three King
doms, but ofthe civilized world, as the
murder ole Lord Oavendish and Mr..
Under Secretary Burke. The manner
OF ii was go savsge, 30 atrooious, and
the principle victim, especially,
was 30 innocent Of anything
like offense to Ireland that the awful
tragedy stood cut 9: utterly without
qualification and wholly uniounded In
anything that the extremity Of the
Irish people demanded. To even
sacitly consent to this murder would
stain the greatest of regulations, put
back the hand upon the dial for many
years and postpone perhaps for
another quarter OF century the
day OF Irsland's freedom. As
sassination is the worst OF crimes,
II is worse even than delib-
crate murder, because 1t is marked
by the deeper degradation Of sneak
ing cowardice. The man who has
blood upon his hands carries with
him the hlrror Of his crime-he Is
haunted every hour by the appealing
look or cry of his victim. The sneak
ing assassin has additionally the
haunting csnker OF his conscious
cowsrdlce and a mtmory that makes
every passing shadow revenge.
lul Nemesis. The murderer
bears the brand OF Gain and
cannot wash 1t away do what he may.
Mr.. Parnell is not the man to link
himself with q crime 80 Strocious.
His respect for the law has been 30
well ties ed, and he Las withstood even
the sorest temptations to revolution 80
well, that his record Is an attesting
prool t. at he not only lives and acts
within the law, but has been guided by
il in all that he has said, written or done
Tor his sorely oppressed country. His
example ii patience under tho sore5t
provocstions delivered in the
House Of Commons, edelivered
with, taunt bordering on insult,
speaks eloquently aud convincinely
that he is 81 far above the least lean
ing toward crime of any kind rs any
we'll bred, we'll balanced man is any
where. His self command and self
oontsinedness when at the head Of
only sixty-three Irish members he
faced the rest Of the House OF Com
MONS and, folding his arms, stood grim
and Ike stone wall until the anger Of
more than 500 men had expended
itself, is too fresh, TOO recent, to
permit OF the people anywhere for
moment entertaining the idea that he
was even for pulse beat in sympathy
with the assassins OF Lord Cavendish
and Mr. Burke. His whole record as
apublic man reiutes and brands this
cha ge &c a lie and the Letter as a for
gerry. Mr.. Parnell has no sympathy
with crime; he never had. He be-
lisves in law and the reign Of law
aud within the limits Of law will yet
achieve the coveted boon OF independ.
ence for LELAND, The enemies Of his
country cannot libel him, nor through
the ruin and wreck Of noble charac-
ter and prinoly record break in upon
the integrity Of the structure of pat
rioiism he has reared with such in
finite patience and which has the sp,
,pr0val of Mr.. Gladstone and the Libsr.
als o. England, Scotland and Wales.